HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
YAA has strict health & safety protocols in place to provide the safest possible environment for students and staff during our in-person programming.
Overview of Health & Safety Protocols (as of June 24, 2021)
COVID safety precautions will ALWAYS be in place when we are in-person
In-person activities will take place indoors and outdoors as possible.
Students will be on campus in cohorts divided by program, always observing currently recommended physical distancing protocols.
Mask wearing is mandatory indoors (optional outdoors) for all students and staff.
Hand sanitizer will be in use regularly and high touch surfaces will be cleaned regularly.
Upon arrival to each rehearsal, YAA will provide each student with a brand new KN95-equivalent mask that will be used one-time only and only for that on-site rehearsal.
Daily health questionnaires for all students/staff via ProtectWell, a symptom-screening app created by Microsoft and United Health (scroll down for more detailed information below).
Proof of vaccination OR a negative PCR test is REQUIRED for all students/staff AND will need to be submitted to YAA before the first in-person date of each session.
PCR test must be taken within 5 days of the first in-person date of each session.
We are in regular consultation with Dr. Emily Marcus of Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD who has spent the past 16 months on the front lines treating the COVID pandemic. She is advising us on best practices and protocols that we have in place to ensure that we create the safest learning environment for our students and staff.
Here are the links to current Best Practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State of Maryland, and the American Camp Association and adopted by YAA to allow for a smooth reentry into our in-person activities:
We are also closely monitoring the latest aerosol studies being run by leading researchers and health professionals who are helping to formulate best practices for the entire performing arts and education industries.
Aerosol Generation from Playing Band Instruments, Singing, and Performing, and Risk of Infectious Disease Transmission (University of Colorado & University of Maryland) (updated June 23, 2021).
Overview of Health & Safety Protocols (as of February 15, 2021)
COVID safety precautions will ALWAYS be in place when we are in-person
In-person activities will take place outdoors whenever possible.
Some small group activities may take place indoors with proper precautions in place as health guidelines allow.
Students will be on campus in limited-size groups, always observing physical distancing protocols.
Mandatory mask wearing and use of hand sanitizer during all in-person sessions.
Upon arrival to each rehearsal, YAA will provide each student with a brand new KN95-equivalent mask that will be used one-time only and only for that on-site rehearsal.
Daily health questionnaires for all students/staff via ProtectWell, a symptom-screening app created by Microsoft and United Health (scroll down for more detailed information below).
Daily on-site temperature checks for all students/staff upon arrival.
A negative PCR Covid test for all students/staff will need to be submitted to YAA before the first in-person date of each session.
PCR test must be taken within 5 days of the first in-person date of each session.
We are in regular consultation with Dr. Emily Marcus of Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD who has spent the past year on the front lines treating the COVID pandemic. She is advising us on best practices and protocols that we have in place to ensure that we create the safest learning environment for our students.
Here are the links to Best Practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State of Maryland, and the American Camp Association and adopted by YAA to allow for a smooth reentry into our in-person, Hybrid format:
We are also closely monitoring the latest aerosol studies being run by leading researchers and health professionals who are helping to formulate best practices for the entire performing arts and education industries.
Aerosol Generation from Playing Band Instruments, Singing, and Performing, and Risk of Infectious Disease Transmission (University of Colorado & University of Maryland) (as of January 2021).
Below is is a presentation of the results from the latest aerosol study from the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) (as of December 2020).
Scroll to the bottom of this page for detailed COVID-19 protocols that all students and staff are required to follow.
ARTISTIC PROTOCOLS in Regards to health & safety
Music from home & IN-PERSON
MUSIC: All vocal music for the productions will be rehearsed and recorded VIRTUALLY using digital tools (Zoom, SoundTrap, FlipGrid).
Students will film musical numbers in-person by “lip-synching” their voices or instruments to the songs that they have prerecorded which will be played over loud-speakers on-location.
Live singing will only be allowed on campus while masked and physically distanced, and only in small, select groups.
Live instrumental playing will only be allowed OUTDOORS on campus, while physically distanced.
STAGING & CHOREOGRAPHY in-person
DIALOGUE:
Spoken dialogue may be rehearsed and memorized over Zoom with our faculty before arriving in-person.
Dialogue WILL take place live, in-person, and outdoors when possible.
STAGING & CHOREOGRAPHY:
Staging and choreography rehearsals will occur in-person at our campus with our artistic staff.
Staging will be socially-distanced at all times for rehearsals and filming.
FILMING:
Filming with a professional film camera crew will also occur in-person
Some footage may be also filmed virtually by students at home as needed.
**Plan subject to change due to current health guidelines due to the pandemic.
COVID-19 Safety Protocols & Precautions in Detail
PRE-DROP OFF PROTOCOLS
Parent logs into our Health Safety portal ProtectWell (more information below) and takes the daily screening for their child.
If ProtectWell does not clear your child, please DO NOT come to campus. Please follow the ProtectWell directions and that of YAA staff regarding safe timing for a return to campus.
If ProtectWell clears your child, please screen shot the Clearance Screen with the checkmark and bring it with you to show to YAA staff at rehearsal drop off.
If a parent is not driving a student to campus, the parent can send a screenshot of the Clearance Screen to the student’s phone for review at campus drop off.
DROP OFF PROTOCOLS
Parent pulls up to venue
YAA staff takes student temperature through window
Parent or Student shows daily green check mark from ProtectWell app on their phone
YAA staff hands student a new KN95-equivalent mask
Student proceeds to venue
IN-PERSON PROTOCOLS
Students are always to remain at least 6 feet apart during in-person activities.
Students will always be assured that they can state with the staff as to their comfort with any scene, and adjustments will be made to staging as requested.
Masks are ALWAYS to be worn over nose and mouth, except when asked by staff to remove for filming scenes. The only times that masks are temporarily removed is for short moments between ACTION and CUT when filming.
YAA will provide physically distanced warming or cooling stations for students and staff during each in-person session, as appropriate.
COVID safety precautions will ALWAYS be in place when we are on-location.
All activities will take place outdoors as much as possible.
Limited-size groups (always observing physical distancing protocols)
Mandatory mask wearing and use of hand sanitizer during all in-person sessions.
All students and staff will each receive a brand new KN95-equivalent mask upon arrival to each on-location call. They are to be worn at all times, and discarded at the end of the day.
Food and drink will not be provided by YAA. Students and staff are to bring their meals from home. Food and drink can only be consumed apart from others and without talking.
MASKS & SANITIZER
YAA has purchased 1,500 KN95-equivalent masks for use on-site.
Upon arrival each day of rehearsal/filming, each YAA student and staff member will be given a brand new KN95-equivalent mask for their use that day with us.
Students should still arrive wearing their own mask, but they will be asked to put on this new KN95 equivalent mask after check in.
We ask that students then dispose of that mask at the end of each in-person day, as they will be given a new one at their next onsite visit.
Everyone on site will also be provided access to hand sanitizer for use throughout the day.
DAILY HEALTH SCREENINGS VIA PROTECTWELL
Prior to EACH AND EVERY in-person rehearsal, videotaping session, or other activity, every student MUST complete an online Health Screening via our screening tool, called PROTECTWELL.
ProtectWell is a symptom-screening app created by Microsoft and United Health, that provides a guided experience to confirm that your child, their fellow students, and YAA staff are healthy enough to participate in our in-person programs. As part of YAA’s policy, all parents of students and all staff are required to use the ProtectWell symptom screener every day prior to entering the YAA program area. Because most students are minors, a parent or guardian must be responsible for creating an account for their child, and for completing it prior to each rehearsal.
YAA will contact all registered families who will be in-person with instructions on how to setup ProtectWell in the days leading up to your first day on campus.
Once you are signed up, you will need to access the system each and every time your child comes on campus. You will be asked to complete the Covid health screening questions and then show the completion screen to the YAA staff member at drop off. Alternatively, you may complete the screening questions and send a screen shot of the completion screen to your child so that they may show this to YAA staff. Our YAA staff member will then take the extra precaution of taking your child’s temperature before they are cleared to exit the car and enter the rehearsal site.
Every student and staff member must comply with the above procedure to reduce the risk of spread of Covid-19 while participating in the YAA programs. There will be no exceptions.
MANDATORY REPORTING
Parents MUST notify YAA staff if a student:
Has a confirmed case of COVID-19
Has a household member with COVID-19
Presents symptoms or suspect they have been exposed
If a student or staff member takes a COVID-19 test, they must remain home until negative test results are received and documentation of the results must be sent to YAA staff as soon as it is available.
If ProtectWell does not clear your child, please DO NOT come to campus. Please follow the ProtectWell directions and that of YAA staff regarding safe timing for a return to campus.
YAA community members are advised to seek out COVID-19 PCR testing. Negative results from rapid antigen tests will not be accepted as conclusive, and families will be instructed to re-test with a molecular PCR test to ensure the most accurate level of testing and a safe return to YAA programs.
YAA IN-PERSON PLEDGE
All YAA students and families are asked to comply to the following community pledge:
WE PLEDGE TO:
Adhere to YAA’s health and safety protocols while on-site and create continuity between YAA and home by reinforcing practices known to limit the spread of COVID-19, including frequent handwashing, physical distancing, and mask wearing.
Avoid nonessential travel, particularly via means that place people in close confinement and to areas with known high COVID-19 counts.
Avoid activities that bring together large numbers of people, and even small numbers of people, who do not adhere to PPE and social distancing guidelines; this includes hosting any such events.
Pursue vaccination for the seasonal flu as it becomes available to limit transmission of that illness.
Speak up, within our circles of influence, in support of these principles, knowing that we are each essential to the continued health of the YAA community.
CONTACT TRACING INFORMATION
All students and their parents must agree to provide up-to-date contact information and to participate in the contact tracing process if one of the YAA program participants tests positive for Covid-19.
PERMISSION AND WAIVERS FOR IN-PERSON PROGRAMS
All parents of students participating in in-person activities with YAA will be required to sign permissions and waivers on our Active Portal to allow their students to participate in our in-person programming.
Students WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE without signed forms. There are no exceptions.
These waivers will require parents to acknowledge:
YAA will be holding the Programs on public and/or private property that is not owned or operated by YAA and, that, therefore, YAA has no control over.
The contagious nature of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 and that the CDC and many other public health authorities recommend practicing physical distancing.
YAA has put in place and informed students and parents of reasonable preventative measures and procedures consistent with CDC Guidelines to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 during the Programs (the “Procedures”), including mandatory Health Screenings.
YAA cannot guarantee that a student or staff member will not become infected with the Coronavirus/Covid-19 directly or indirectly through participation in the Programs.
The risk of becoming exposed to and/or infected by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of my child and/or others, including, but not limited to, YAA staff, agents and/or other YAA students or their parents.
By participating, a student may thereby be increasing risk of exposure to the Coronavirus/COVID-19.
All students must comply with the YAA Procedures to reduce risk of spread while participating in the Programs, including mandatory Health Screening via ProtectWell and Temperature Checks.
Refusing to participate in the Procedures will result in dismissal from the Program without refund.
By participating in the Programs, the student/parent assumes all of the risk of injury and illness.